STIM1 expression is associated with osteosarcoma cell survival

Objective: To examine the role of store-operated calcium entry(SOCE) and stromal interaction molecule 1(STIM1) in survival and migration of osteosarcoma cells and investigate what blockade of store-operated Ca^(2+)contributes to the regulation of osteosarcoma cells.Methods: First, we examined the expression levels of STIM1 in osteosarcoma cell lines by Western analysis and in tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry. Second, we investigated the effect of SOCE and STIM1 on osteosarcoma cell viability using MTS assays and on cell proliferation using colony formation. Third, we investigated the role of SOCE and STIM1 in cell migration using wound healing assays and Boyden chamber assays. Finally, we studied the effect of SOCE on the nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1(NFATc1)activity by luciferase assays.Results: STIM1 was overexpressed in osteosarcoma cell lines and tissue specimens and was associated with poor survival of osteosarcoma patients. Also, inhibition of SOCE and STIM1 decreased the cell viability and migration of osteosarcoma cells. Furthermore, our results showed that blockade of store-operated Ca^(2+) channels involved down-regulation of NFATc1 in osteosarcoma cells.Conclusions: STIM1 is essential for osteosarcoma cell functions, and STIM1 and Ca^(2+) entry pathway could be further explored as molecular targets in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Anisotropic coal permeability and its stress sensitivity

This paper focuses on anisotropy of coal permeability and its stress sensitivity.Coal blocks were taken from Xinjing Coal Mine in Yangquan Coal District.Coal cores were then drilled along the strike,dip,and vertical directions.Coal permeabilities were measured with respect to stress by using a self-developed coal permeability measurement system.The used samples exhibited significant permeability anisotropy.The permeability along the strike direction was greatest among the three directions,the permeability along the vertical direction was the smallest,and the permeability along the dip direction was between the other two directions.The sensitivity of coal permeability to stress was transversely isotropic.The stress sensitivity coefficient was greater along the horizontal directions than along the vertical directions.Coal permeability exhibited anisotropic stress sensitivity due to anisotropy in Young’s modulus and porosity.The results obtained in this study are useful for optimizing the arrangement of pre-drainage boreholes.

Activation of Mitochondrial orf355 Gene Expression by a Nuclear-Encoded DREB Transcription Factor Causes Cytoplasmic Male Sterility in Maize

Coordination between mitochondria and the nucleus is crucial for fertility determination in plants with cytoplasmic male sterility(CMS).Using yeast one-hybrid screening,we identified a transcription factor,ZmDREB1.7,that is highly expressed in sterile microspores at the large vacuole stage and activates the expression of mitochondria-encoded CMS gene orf355.Δpro,a weak allele of ZmDREB1.7 with the loss of a key unfolded protein response(UPR)motif in the promoter,partially restores male fertility of CMS-S maize.ZmDREB1.7 expression increases rapidly in response to antimycin A treatment,but this response is attenuated in theΔpro allele.Furthermore,we found that expression of orf355 in mitochondria activates mitochondrial retrograde signaling,which in turn induces ZmDREB1.7 expression.Taken together,these findings demonstrate that positive-feedback transcriptional regulation between a nuclear regulator and a mitochondrial CMS gene determines male sterility in maize,providing new insights into nucleus-mitochondria communication in plants.

Bioengineering of nano metal-organic frameworks for cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy techniques,such as immune checkpoint inhibitors,chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)T cell therapies and cancer vaccines,have been burgeoning with great success,particularly for specific cancer types.However,side effects with fatal risks,dysfunction in tumor microenvironment and low immune response rates remain the bottlenecks in immunotherapy.Nano metal-organic frameworks(nMOFs),with an accurate structure and a narrow size distribution,are emerging as a solution to these problems.In addition to their function of temporospatial delivery,a large library of their compositions,together with flexibility in chemical interaction and inherent immune efficacy,offers opportunities for various designs of nMOFs for immunotherapy.In this review,we overview state-of-the-art research on nMOFs-based immunotherapies as well as their combination with other therapies.We demonstrate that nMOFs are predominantly customized for vaccine delivery or tumor-microenvironment modulation.Finally,a prospect of nMOFs in cancer immunotherapy will be discussed.

Gold nanorods as saturable absorbers for the passively Q-switched Nd:LLF laser at 1.34 μm

Gold nanorods(GNRs) with two different aspect ratios were successfully utilized as saturable absorbers(SAs) in a passively Q-switched neodymium-doped lutetium lithium fluoride(Nd:LLF) laser emitting at 1.34 μm. Based on the GNRs with an aspect ratio of five, a maximum output power of 1.432 W was achieved, and the narrowest pulse width was 328 ns with a repetition rate of 200 kHz. But, in the case of the GNRs with the aspect ratio of eight, a maximum output power of 1.247 W was achieved, and the narrowest pulse width was 271 ns with a repetition rate of 218 kHz. Our experimental results reveal that the aspect ratios of GNRs have different saturable absorption effects at a specific wavelength. In other words, for passively Q-switched lasers at a given wavelength, we are able to select the most suitable GNRs as an SA by changing their aspect ratio.